


To The Sea

by Kelinswriter



Series: The Only Sun I Need is You [4]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Sanvers - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-10
Updated: 2018-08-10
Packaged: 2019-06-25 14:02:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15642231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kelinswriter/pseuds/Kelinswriter
Summary: Alex and Maggie take a trip to celebrate their engagement.





	To The Sea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [peggycarterislife](https://archiveofourown.org/users/peggycarterislife/gifts).



“Babe, let’s go!” Alex shouted.

Maggie took one last look around the apartment, checking for any final details that needed to be addressed before they abandoned the place for two days. It looked like everything was in order: the lights were off, the garbage had been taken out, the breakfast dishes were washed and stacked. She checked the bonsai shelf to make certain her plants were watered and then threw her overnight bag over her shoulder, arriving at the elevator just as it was opening.

“Took you long enough,” Alex said, her brusque words undercut by the anticipatory sparkle in her brown eyes.

“Just making sure we don’t end up coming home to burglars, or worse, ants,” Maggie replied.

“Burglars we could deal with. Ants, not so much.” Alex stepped onto the elevator, waiting for Maggie to follow before hitting the button to send them down. “Did you know there’s a species of ant that can blow itself up if it feels threatened?”

“Oooh, yes, please, tell me all about the suicide bomber ant as we’re leaving on vacation,” Maggie purred. She turned, catching at Alex’s belt loops and tugging her around so they were facing each other. “Because that’s the kind of sexy talk I’ve been looking forward to all week.”

“Shut up,” Alex said, and placed her hands on either side of Maggie’s waist, her fingers sliding beneath the waistband of Maggie’s cutoffs. If she realized that Maggie was distracting her from being in the elevator on purpose, she didn’t admit to it; simply pulled Maggie in and kissed her hard, letting out a frustrated growl when the car came to a halt with a jolt. She nipped at Maggie’s jaw, murmuring, “I’ll have to finish that later.”

“You bet your ass you will,” Maggie said, resettling her bag on her shoulder as Alex pulled away. She caught at Alex’s hand, their fingers tangling together as they walked out to the curb. Their car was parked outside — or more precisely, J’onn’s car was. Maggie didn’t know how Alex had bribed him into letting her have it for the weekend, but she had a feeling, based on some grumbling she’d heard coming from the shower the other night, that it had something to do with paperwork and alien slime.

Alex popped the trunk and Maggie stowed her bag, setting it alongside their cooler and a crate of supplies. She wasn’t sure why they needed a week’s worth of groceries for a two-day trip, but then, where they were going was a total mystery. Alex had insisted on making all the arrangements, even trying — though failing — to spurn Maggie’s offer to pay half the expenses. 

“It’s our engagement trip,” Maggie had said. “The least we can do is give it to each other, especially if there’s a substantial deposit involved.”

“Nice try, Detective,” Alex replied with a grin, though she willingly accepted a small amount of cash. She then proceeded to be maddeningly secretive about every detail of the trip, refusing to give Maggie even the slightest hint of what she would need to pack. It had gotten so bad that Maggie had considered checking Alex’s credit card to see what it would reveal, but she didn’t think _My fiancée won’t tell me where we’re going and it’s driving me crazy_ would be a sufficient reason for a judge to grant a warrant.

Alex had eventually relented, hinting that Maggie would need shorts, sunscreen, and a bathing suit. “Preferably one that covers the least amount of skin possible,” she had teased, and Maggie had obliged by packing the black two-piece she’d worn on the trip she’d taken to Jamaica after she made detective. She had a feeling, however, that it wasn’t going to be staying on all that long, considering the gleam in Alex’s eyes when Maggie had pulled it out of the bedroom drawer.

She laughed softly at the memory as she settled into the passenger seat of J’onn’s convertible, which could, apparently, double as an interstellar spaceship when the occasion warranted. “You sure you’re not flying me to Mars in this thing?” 

“I think I’ve had enough of almost flying to the stars for one year, don’t you?” Alex asked, settling her sunglasses over her eyes. She always looked sexy, but especially so today, with her purple tank top covered by an unbuttoned black and white plaid shirt. Her skinny jeans were old and ripped at the knees, revealing a tantalizing bit of pale skin.

“Ready?” she asked as she slid behind the wheel. 

“With you?” Maggie reached across the intervening space, running her hand down Alex’s arm. “Always.”

Alex grinned and started the car.

\-------

Traffic made their journey far slower than it needed to be. Once Maggie realized they were headed toward rather than away from the ocean, she knew they’d be doing more stopping and starting than actual driving. 

“Too bad we can’t get away with just flying this thing to wherever we’re going,” she said, tugging an NCPD baseball hat onto her head to protect her face from the sun.

“I don’t mind,” Alex said. “It gives me time to admire the view.” 

Maggie smiled and stretched out her legs, crossing them at the ankles. Her jean shorts were cut high, leaving plenty of bare skin for Alex to glance at when traffic slowed. And touch, too, Maggie realized when Alex’s hand snaked out, her fingertips grazing over Maggie’s thigh. 

“Hey, now,” Maggie teased, crossing her arms over her chest. “What would J’onn think if he knew you were feeling me up in his car?”

“He’s 350, not dead,” Alex said with a grin. “Besides, I’m pretty sure he’s done the same with M’gann a time or two in here.” 

“Oh, well, in that case…” Maggie tangled their fingers together, waiting for Alex to glance over before saying, “Even not knowing where we’re going, I’m so glad we’re getting a chance to do this.” 

“Me too.” Alex brushed her thumb over Maggie’s engagement ring, her smile broadening when Maggie squeezed her hand in response. “Our first official weekend getaway as an engaged couple.” 

“Our only is my guess, considering we only have three months before the wedding.” Maggie sat back and let out a sigh, feeling some of the week’s tension drain out of her. “God knows it’s been a crazy summer.”

“But hey, no Daxamites in sight!” Alex said, accelerating back to freeway speeds as the latest knot of traffic cleared in front of them. The wind whipped through her hair, and she stole her hand back long enough to tuck it behind her ear. “I really need a haircut.” 

“Aw, but it’s all windblown and sexy like that.” Maggie turned up the radio and heard the familiar strain of an acoustic guitar trickling out of the speakers. “Well what do you know, Danvers. It’s our song.”

They sang along — not very well, but with enthusiasm — until Alex turned off the freeway. The traffic grew sparser after that; most people, it seemed, had peeled off toward the beaches just south of National City, but Alex was taking them even further than that, toward a narrow spit of land known as Point June. It wasn’t quite an island, though in the winter, flooding often cut it off from the mainland. It was also packed with bed and breakfasts and marinas, making it the perfect place to spend a summer weekend. 

“Beach condo or boat trip?” Maggie asked as they popped over a rise. She could see the ocean spread out beneath them, its shimmering blue flecked with gold from the mid-morning sun. 

“You’ll see,” Alex grinned. She made a right off the town’s main drag, navigating along a series of side streets until they arrived at a marina on the far western tip of the point. After finding a spot big enough to park the car, they unloaded their gear and walked a quarter mile, first through the parking lot, then along a series of narrow piers until they arrived at their destination. 

“It’s a sailboat,” Maggie said, surveying the gleaming white craft, which, she estimated, was around forty feet in length. 

“Well, technically, it’s an ocean cruising monohull,” Alex replied, and then listed off a dizzying series of specifications, each one more confusing than the last.

“But can I have fries with that?” Maggie asked when Alex was done.

“Only if you’re nice,” Alex said, somehow managing to turn the words into a double entendre. She set both the cooler and her bag on the deck and held out her hands for Maggie’s gear. “The short version is that she’s capable of sailing to China if we want to, though I was just planning to take us down around Catalina and find a spot to anchor for the night.”

“And you can…” Maggie squinted up at the two towering masts. “Drive her?”

“Sail, yes,” Alex said with a chuckle. “I used to work crew for my neighbor who raced his boat every weekend in the summer.” She stepped onto the deck, taking a moment to set her balance before offering Maggie a hand. “This beauty belongs to friend of my mom’s who made a fortune in biotech almost twenty years ago. When she found out we were engaged, she asked Mom if we wanted to take it for a few days. Apparently she’s sunning in Majorca until September.” 

“Must be nice,” Maggie said, stepping onto the deck. She felt the boat wobble beneath her and shifted her feet, trying to adjust to the unfamiliar motion. “You do remember I’m from Nebraska, right?”

“You’ll get used to it. And if not, well, that’s what Dramamine is for.” Alex leaned in for a quick kiss. “This is okay, right?”

“It’s an adventure,” Maggie said, sliding her arms around Alex’s waist. She looked up her, smiling, and said, “But then again, it’s always an adventure with you.”

\-------

It was mid-morning before they got underway. Maggie stowed the food in the below-deck galley, smiling appreciatively at the ahi tuna steaks and tiramisu that Alex had packed in the bottom of the cooler. There were some basic items as well; eggs and fruit, a loaf of French bread, coffee, and several bottles of a good craft beer they’d discovered one night back in March. The boat came with a fully stocked wine rack, and Maggie let out a low whistle when she scanned the labels. “I’m no expert, but this booze looks expensive as shit.” 

“Carolyn said to enjoy ourselves and not worry about it.” Alex leaned over the side of the boat, unhooking the first of the three ropes tying them to the pier. “You ready to cast off?”

“You haven’t actually unfurled the sails yet,” Maggie pointed out as she emerged onto the deck. “That is the word, right? Unfurled?”

“Yes, we’ll do that once we’re in the channel. And also, you’re adorable.” Alex caught Maggie by the arm and pulled her in for a kiss, patting her hip with one hand. “Ready to get bossed around for a while?”

“Are you going to tell me to take my clothes off?” Maggie asked, her voice dropping into that low, throaty register she rarely used outside their bedroom. She hadn’t meant to do it, but it was hard to avoid when Alex made it so damn easy for her.

Alex froze, swallowing hard, and paused, as if seriously considering the question. Then she leaned in, her breath ghosting across the shell of Maggie’s ear. “No, that part’s for after we’re out to sea.”

And this time it was Maggie’s turn to freeze, and swallow hard, and try not to think too far beyond the next five minutes.

\-------

As it turned out, once Maggie got used to the motion, sailing came as naturally as breathing. At first it was frightening to push beyond the harbor boundaries and into the coastal waters, but as the shore began to recede, she felt a peace settle over her. Her only concern was that Alex was doing most of the work, but when she pointed this out, Alex kissed her and said, “Just enjoy it.” But occasionally she would ask Maggie to tighten a winch or loosen a line or, on two brief occasions, to hold on to the wheel so she could make some more complicated adjustment. 

Sometime shortly after noon they saw a shimmer on the horizon, and Alex covered her eyes with her hand while she consulted her GPS. “There’s the island. We keep this wind and we’ll be there in an hour.” 

“And then?” Maggie asked, sliding into place alongside Alex, who was standing with feet apart and both hands easy on the wheel. Her shirt was billowing in the breeze, and her tangled hair was hanging half-down onto her face when it wasn’t fanning out behind her. She looked relaxed and peaceful and hot as hell, and all Maggie wanted to do was drag her down to the bed in the cabin below and pin her to the mattress for the rest of the day.

Instead, she wrapped an arm around Alex’s waist and slid her hand down to trace the thin strip of visible skin between Alex’s tank top and the waistband of her jeans. Nuzzling her cheek against the hard muscle of Alex’s shoulder, she asked, “You think maybe we could take a nap when we get there?”

“I was thinking a swim first,” Alex said, leaning down to press a kiss to Maggie’s forehead. “Then maybe a nap.”

“You just want to see me in that bikini,” Maggie replied, though this new round of flirting was ruined when a sudden gust of wind blasted a chunk of her hair into her mouth. She scrunched up her face and spit it out as Alex broke into a peal of laughter. 

“Smooth, Sawyer,” Alex giggled, a look of bemused glee on her face as Maggie sputtered, trying to get one last, stubborn strand off her tongue. “So very smooth.”

“I’m a player from way back,” Maggie replied, and then it was her turn to laugh, not so much about what had happened, but about how crazy it was that even the smallest, most silly of moments with Alex seemed like the sort of memory that she should cherish forever. But she didn’t know how to say all that, at least not in a way that made sense, so she wrapped her arms around Alex’s waist and kissed her shoulder instead. “I love laughing with you.”

“Me too, Mags.” Alex pressed her cheek to the crown of Maggie’s head. “Let’s do it for the rest of our lives.”

\-------

They anchored off the northeastern shore of the island, in the same area as a few other boats, but not so close that they couldn’t have their privacy. Maggie went below deck and changed into her swimsuit while Alex lowered the sails. 

“Damn, Babe,” Alex said when Maggie emerged from the cabin. She swung off the aft deck and dropped down in front of Maggie, her eyes darting from Maggie’s legs to her waist to her face, and then lower again. “You look….wow.”

“I bet I’ll say the same after you get changed.” Maggie pulled Alex’s hands to her waist, settling them firmly on either side of her hips, and pushed up on tiptoe to give her fiancée a kiss. “So hurry up and let me see that hot bikini body.”

Alex pressed their foreheads together, her fingertips tracing soft circles on the small of Maggie’s back. “Maybe we should just take that nap.” 

“Swim first,” Maggie said, though the thought was more than tempting. “You promised me frolicking and bliss, remember?”

“I did.” Alex kissed the tip of Maggie’s nose before pulling away and heading below decks. “Let’s just hope the sharks aren’t hungry.”

“Wait, sharks?” Maggie asked, but Alex just waved over her shoulder and disappeared from view. “Wait a minute, Danvers. What the hell is this noise about sharks?”

\-------

There were, as it turned out, no sharks, or at least none that Maggie noticed. Then again, she spent most of her time admiring the way Alex’s lean frame cut through the water with the familiarity of someone who had practically been raised in the ocean. Maggie had been worried that being submerged would bring up bad memories for Alex, but she seemed fine — liberated, even, as if having the freedom to move around was eradicating the trauma of being trapped in that tank. 

They snorkeled for perhaps an hour, swimming above and around and finally through the schools of multicolored fish dancing beneath the boat. The longer they stayed under the turquoise water, the more Maggie came to understand how Alex’s deep love of the ocean — not just its surface, but its depths — had so much to do with her love for the scientific processes that made life possible. _She loves the mystery,_ she thought as she watched Alex flit through a school of orange fish, her feet cutting through the water in quick, efficient strokes. _And she loves the possibility._

Not long after, Alex gestured toward the surface. Maggie swam upward at a slow pace, kicking hard to break through the last few feet. She pulled her snorkel out of her mouth and tipped back her dive mask, sucking in a mouthful of salty air. “Wow.”

“Right?” Alex paddled closer, drawing Maggie with her as she caught at the line that would guide them back to the boat. “Did you see that wreck half-buried in the sand?”

Maggie nodded. “I was waiting for you to go looking for pirate treasure.”

“Pretty sure it hasn’t been there more than a few decades, but you never know.” Alex nudged Maggie in front of her, urging her to climb onto the boat first. “Next time we’ll bring proper scuba gear and check it out.” 

“I suppose this means I need to get certified?” Maggie asked, and caught a knowing gleam in those big brown eyes.

“I mean…don’t you want to?” Alex said, and once again, all Maggie could do was grin and shake her head at how wrapped around Alex Danvers’ little finger she was.

\-------

They were too exhausted to do much more than lay on the deck and drink beer for the first half hour after they finished snorkeling. Eventually the salt from the ocean water began to irritate Maggie’s skin, and she pushed upright, sitting with one knee bent and her arms folded atop it. She swallowed the last of her beer and set the bottle aside. “I think I’ll go clean up.”

“Does that mean you’re taking off that bikini?” Alex asked. She tilted her head to the side and ran her eyes along Maggie’s body, her top teeth gnawing at her lower lip. 

Maggie placed her palm on Alex’s bare stomach just above her navel and skimmed her fingertips downward, watching the muscles ripple and dip as they reacted to her touch. She traced her index finger along the waistband of Alex’s bikini bottoms and saw Alex lift her head.

“Yes, I was thinking about taking off my bikini.” Maggie slid one fingertip beneath the thin, damp cloth, a slow smile spreading across her face as she felt Alex try — and then fail — to hold still at its passing. “I was thinking about taking off yours too.”

“Then I guess it must be naptime,” Alex said, and pushed up on her elbows, and smiled.

\-------

They emerged sometime before sunset, both ravenous for food and sated with each other. Maggie fired up the portable grill and seared the tuna steaks while Alex set the table and checked the anchor. They ate quietly, communicating with nothing more than a touch on the knee or a dab of a napkin on the other’s face. It was as if the boat had put a spell on them, Maggie thought, wrapping them up in a cocoon where even the most complex of ideas could be conveyed with a look or a touch or a gesture. But then, they had always been good at speaking volumes with nothing more than a glance.

They returned to the deck to drink the last of the Bordeaux that had accompanied their dinner while the sea around them settled until it was as smooth as glass. Maggie nestled against Alex, in front for once, and watched as the sun turned the waters from blue to blazing orange before slipping beneath the horizon. 

“Promise me that when things get tough, we’ll remember this,” Alex said, her breath warm on Maggie’s cheek. 

Maggie leaned back, feeling Alex’s arms wrap around her body, and tilted her head until she felt Alex’s cheek press against her temple. “This one’s ours forever.”

“For however long that is?” Alex asked, and Maggie heard a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Maggie slid her hands up to catch at Alex’s elbows, drawing her arms in even closer, and turned her head to nuzzle Alex’s jaw. 

“What’s that old saying?” she asked. “To infinity and beyond?”

Alex snorted. “Did you just quote Buzz Lightyear at me?” 

“I did.” A breeze stirred up, and Maggie sank back into Alex’s warmth, feeling a hint of regret that they couldn’t stay like this always. But life would change; they would grow, and get older, and eventually, one of them would have to survive the loss of the other. The only thing permanent was the love they felt; that would live on, in some form, until the stars themselves were no more. 

“To infinity and beyond, my love.” Maggie turned her head, one hand lifting to draw Alex down into a kiss that was slow, and sweet, and everything she had ever dreamed a kiss could be. She looked up at Alex when it was done, and saw their lifetime of firsts shining like a beacon in Alex’s eyes. “To infinity and beyond.”

\-------

Maggie woke early and made coffee as quietly as she could. She took it up on deck, huddling under an oversized gray sweater she’d found in the closet next to the single, cramped shower, and watched as the sun tried to burn through the thick marine layer that had settled all around. It was still nothing but a dull yellow light hovering in the east when Alex appeared, blinking owlishly from the mouth of the hatch.

“I got worried when you weren’t there,” she said, nuzzling her head into Maggie’s shoulder. 

“Not like I’d have very far to go.” Maggie opened her arms and Alex settled into them, the crown of her head tucked beneath Maggie’s chin. “You still sleepy, Baby?”

“Yesterday was a big day.” Alex wrapped her arms around Maggie’s waist, rubbing her side before sliding her hands beneath the sweater’s thick folds. “I think we should call Kara and ask her to tow us back so we don’t have to do any work.” 

“As handy as that would be, I don’t think we can afford the amount of takeout we’d have to buy to thank her for the favor.” Maggie chuckled, adding, “I mean, unless you want to forget about that big wedding and just run off to Vegas instead.”

“There are times when it doesn’t seem like a bad idea.” Alex fell silent, drowsing quietly against Maggie’s chest, and Maggie stroked her hair and rubbed her shoulder as their bodies fell into sync, their breaths rising and falling in unison. After a while Maggie's mind went quiet, growing ever more present until all that existed was the lap of the waves and the creak of the rigging and the boat rocking gently beneath them. And the only thing that mattered — the only thing that she would ever need — was the woman curled up in her arms. 

At last Alex rubbed one sweatpant-clad leg against Maggie’s own, whispering, “It’s cold up here. Come back to bed.”

And Maggie set aside her coffee, and took Alex’s hand, and let herself be led inside.

\-------

“So how do we talk your mother’s friend into letting us make this an annual adventure?” Maggie asked as she hefted the now much-lighter cooler onto the pier.

“How about I find a way to get my own biotech patent and we get one of these of our own?” Alex countered as she tied off the bag holding their garbage. She tossed it into the can at the end of the pier and held out one hand, holding Maggie steady while she stepped off the boat.

“You’re just nerd enough for me to believe that you can do it,” Maggie said, and saw Alex flash her a grin that would light up the sky. Maggie slung her overnight bag over her shoulder, pausing to scan the gleaming white craft one last time. “Well, that’s it, I guess. Back to real life.”

“Yup. Back to planning a wedding and finding a house and saving the world in our spare time.” Alex wrapped her arms around Maggie’s waist and turned her around, leaning in for a kiss. “So the surprise was okay, huh?” she asked, her mouth lingering against Maggie’s lips.

“The part of the surprise that matters is you,” Maggie said, and saw Alex’s cheeks go red at the words. “Aw, Danvers. I made you blush. That’s so cute.”

Alex cleared her throat, something wild and a little bit needy in her low tone. “Just for that, I might have to make you blush when we get home.”

Maggie felt heat flood though her, its pull as deep and steady as the ocean. “Well then lead on, Babe,” she said, and saw Alex tilt her head, and raise one eyebrow, and smile.

They clasped hands and started walking toward the life spread out before them, sure and certain as the tide. 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Title inspired by Ray LaMontagne's "To the Sea," which you can listen to [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LTBHm2SrGk).


End file.
